Overview

• Elon Musk called Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro 'a moron' and 'dumber than a sack of bricks' in response to Navarro labeling Tesla a 'car assembler' reliant on foreign parts.
• Musk refuted Navarro’s claims, asserting that Tesla produces the most American-made cars and operates with a highly vertically integrated manufacturing model.
• The feud highlights deeper policy disagreements within the Trump administration, with Musk advocating for free trade and Navarro supporting aggressive tariffs to promote domestic manufacturing.
• White House officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, downplayed the public spat, describing it as a typical internal disagreement and emphasizing the administration’s transparency.
• The tariffs, which include a 10% baseline import duty and higher rates for certain countries, have caused market volatility and raised concerns about economic stability and rising consumer costs.